Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s bloody but immensely enjoyable, From Dusk Till Dawn is unarguably one of the finest vampire films shot in the last 30 years. It’s enjoyable on just about every front imaginable, and between Rodriguez’s outlandish direction and Tarantino’s clasc dialogue, many would argue that From Dusk Till Dawn is the finest vampire flick ever made.

So how does the entire trilogy stack up as a whole?

From Dusk Till Dawn

As I’ve stated, this film is just beautifully gruesome. Robert Kurtzman’s FX are absolutely top notch, and the story is not only original, but an honest blast that never pretends to be anything more than what it is: a balls to the wall action horror fest with a strong hint of comedy. The script is surpringly refined (I’m not sure why that surprises me) and both Tarantino and ultra-bad ass Clooney are absolute gold. From Dusk Till Dawn is an absolute A grade clasc.

http://youtu.be/Wgk_SAbC5_0

From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money

Texas Blood Money shocked the living shit out of me; it’s a damn decent movie! The film ties in well with its predecessor, and showcases some familiar elements. Expect to spot The Titty Twister (though it’s undergone some serious, serious remodeling), you’ll catch Danny Trejo projecting more of his bad-assness, and the scenery (for obvious reasons) effectively mirrors the scenery of the first. The action unfolds quickly, the cast rocks (Robert Patrick, Duane Whitaker, Bo Hopkins and Raymond Cruz are all aboard) and the gore is fairly well played. Toss in a cool plot twist, and you’ve got a legitimately good sequel!

http://youtu.be/1dKHdRp82FY

From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter

I suppose every decent franchise must see a dud produced, right? Well, The Hangman’s Daughter is From Dusk Till Dawn’s critical kryptonite. The flick’ set a century ago, and that approach is a fine setup; it’s the story itself that buries this one before it begins. It’s a dull, dull tale that plays worse than a bad Sy-Fy flick. There’s no real reason to actually care about a ngle character on screen, and if you think the detachment that creates is bad, conder this: we don’t even see a damn vampire until 60 minutes of a 94 minute film have passed. The special effects aren’t particularly memorable, and The Titty Twister of 100 years ago just feels all wrong here. Save for another brief appearance from Trejo, this one is a complete and utter failure.